Regional Director, NIHR Research Design Service West MidlandsDeputy Director, Master of Public Health ProgrammeReader in Epidemiology

Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Contact details

Public Health, Epidemiology and BiostatisticsSchool of Health and Population SciencesCollege of Medical and Dental SciencesUniversity of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

About

Dr Thomas is the Regional Director, West Midlands NIHR Research Design Service and the Deputy Director, Master of Public Heath Programme. He is a Reader in Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Health and Population Sciences of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences, The University of Birmingham.

Dr Thomas has an international portfolio of research in Europe and Asia investigating in the fields of cardiovascular disease epidemiology, prevention and control. He has received major funding for work in Hong Kong, China and Iran. Major ongoing studies include the 30,000 plus Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study, China, and one of the largest CVD endpoint studies assessing the effectiveness of a PolyPill in Iran

He has published over 260 articles, including over 200 in indexed, peer-reviewed journals. These are predominantly in the area of cardiovascular disease epidemiology. He is on the editorial advisory board of 7 international journals and a reviewer for a number of national and international funding agencies, including as Panel Chair.

Dr Thomas has an active teaching role in under- and postgraduate studies. He is currently also the Deputy Director of the Masters of Public Health and coordinator of the MPH Projects module and Programme Plagiarism Lead.

Biography

Dr Thomas completed his PhD in the genetic epidemiology of hypertension at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics. He then took up an academic post in 2002 in the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong to help coordinate the initiation of the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. In the summer of 2007, he took up the post of Reader in Epidemiology, Public Health and Biostatistics at the University of Birmingham. He is also Regional Director, NIHR Research Design Service West Midlands, and National NIHR RDS Deputy Link Director for Patient and Public Involvement.

Research

Dr Thomas' research is at the cutting edge of understanding metabolic conditions that place a significant burden on healthcare services and society as a whole. This understanding is coupled with intervention studies that inform disease prevention and patient care.

There are two main components to his research: Firstly, epidemiological studies which are designed to investigate environmental and genetic factors contributing to metabolic syndrome disease clustering (Type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension and dyslipidaemia, with related cardiovascular disease) and secondly in the treatment and prevention of these conditions, using pharmacological agents and lifestyle modifications. His contribution to the first component has resulted in greater appreciation of the pathogenesis of these diseases and has helped in development of more effective therapeutic interventions, which can be used intensively in those identified to be at greatest risk. In this manner, the application of this scientific research has been directly used to alleviate morbidity and mortality in patients with these conditions and thus provide direct benefit. Work related to the second component has led to a series of interventional studies targeting physical activity and diet and specific pharmacological agents in general populations and in specific patient groups to improve health indicators and reduce morbidity and mortality.

His work has been recognised as influential in healthcare as demonstrated by the publication in distinguished general medical journals such as the Lancet and BMJ, as well as top specialist journals, including Eur Heart J, Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Stroke, and Diabetes Care.

A prospective cohort of 3,316 Caucasian patients from Ludwigshafen in southwest Germany referred for coronary angioplasty and is designed to evaluate determinants of cardiovascular health. To date approximately one third of the patients have died (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11258203).